"The war is over..."

Good news to be sure, but it didn't feel true. The Iridians had been fighting the goblins for 3 years now. And this treaty came so suddenly. It wasn't clear what actions ended the war. The decision was made by kings. Details didn't make their way to the peasants of the Flenshire farm. It seemed anticlimactic. There was no decisive battle. It was like this last three years had been a meaningless skirmish that just fizzled out because the goblin king Gorbek decided to give up one day.

"Didn't you hear me? The war is over!"

Rowan's younger sister Lydia delivered the news with excitement. But Rowan was still in disbelief. Even if the goblins surrendered, it wouldn't bring his father or brother back. He couldn't help feeling they died for nothing. If the war had ended a few months sooner, they'd still be alive and it would be business as usual at their farm. It didn't matter if the war lasted 3 years or 30 years. It lasted long enough for him to lose almost everyone. Lydia was the only family he had left.

Rowan was in the middle of harvesting crops. There was much work to be done on the land. They were permitted to live in a little farmhouse as long as they paid their rent and tax to the baron. But Rowan couldn't bear to keep working there. This house didn't feel like home anymore. The war changed everything. The land felt dead.

**

Over the next few days rumor spread about farmers traveling over to the neighboring goblin territory to try a hand at farming. Rumor had it that goblin soil was richer, and grew enormous crops incredibly quickly. Apparently the land was teeming with fertility, and was just waiting to be cultivated. Though goblins didn't have farming skills as advanced as humans. With the war over, there seemed to be opportunity. Peasants were trying their hands at striking it rich with the expected better yields.

It seemed risky to start up a new farm in a foreign territory. You'd stand out being a human in goblin country. War wasn't the only barrier to thriving there as a human. Prejudice still exists. Besides, the rumors of the magical soil must be exaggerated.

The rumors weren’t even completely positive. It was also said that the land was plagued with giant insects and monsters of various kinds, even monsters from other realms that climbed through rifts localized in the goblin territory.

The idea of moving still lingered with Rowan however. He didn't feel like he belonged where he was. He sighed and continued the laborious process of harvesting. It was a lot of work for just the two of them. He and Lydia compiled what they brought in, and sectioned off what they could eat and what they needed to sell.

"It's not good. The baron won't be happy with this," Lydia said, counting and recounting.

"He can't expect us to have the same yield we had before the war. Next year we'll bounce back. He'll have to understand."

**

Well of course Baron Ravenscrepe didn’t have a reputation for being the most understanding landlord. A couple days after a missed payment, Rowan was called to his mansion. Rowan was quite anxious about the visit.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Rowan was led in by Ravenscrepe’s butler and seated at one end of a long table. He sat there waiting for some time, rehearsing an explanation in his head that could convince the baron to give them more time.

When the baron entered the room, Rowan immediately began apologizing, but the baron didn’t seem to understand what he was talking about. “That’s not why I’ve called you here. That shoddy plot of land never produced much anyway.”

Rowan took issue with this. True, they had a couple rough years during the war, but his whole childhood the farm he lived on had prospered under his father’s management. But the baron just rolled right on with what he was saying.

“Now that the war’s over, there's a promise of new opportunity. I have to compete with the other gentry you know. All the counts and dukes are putting together their parties, so I’ve arranged to send out a group of my own as soon as possible.”

Rowan remembered the rumors of the goblin territory. His eyes widened, “You’re not moving us to farm in Zyndak?”

“Of course I am. It’s an opportunity I can’t pass up. I’m not sure if you realize the details of the treaty that was struck up. One little detail is that they have to let us set up farms there. I’ve got wagons set up with enough supplies. You’ll have seeds, equipment, and plenty of provisions.”

Rowan was somewhat excited at the opportunity, but he remembered his sister. “I’m not sure how Lydia will feel about leaving her home.”

“Lydia? Oh she’s not joining you. Somebody will have to stay and look after the farms on this side. I’ve got it all worked out.”

“So I’m going alone?”

“Not alone. I’ve got a whole party going with you. And not just farmers.”

**

When Rowan joined the group bound for the goblin territory of Zyndak, he saw the baron spoke true. While he was one of about twenty farmers, there were also three soldiers and a mage. He felt like he was in good hands as they prepared to set out.

Lydia came to say goodbye, tears in her eyes. She had a great responsibility on her shoulders. Now she had to work the farm that used to be run by her father and older brothers. Rowan wished he could stay and help her, but the baron left him no option.

After an emotional goodbye, the party set off, making its way into goblin territory.

They were only in Zyndak for a day before the attack. Horses drew the wagons a good day’s journey in. They spent most of the day traveling through human and disputed territory before sneaking off the main path and crossing into goblin land. Shortly after that, they came to a valley. It was around sunset when they saw a group of enemies.

A tall man elaborately dressed in colorful robes stood in the middle of a pathway. On one side stood a furry creature the size of a bear, but looked more like a black badger with a silver streak down the middle of its back. On the man’s other side, a winged gargoyle.

No one said a word. The three entities launched a complicated coordinated attack on the wagons. Rowan leapt from his seat as soon as he realized what was happening. He didn’t get a good look at the details of the combat behind him. At least one soldier was slashed by the talons of the gargoyle. Rowan ran before he saw what else happened. He hoped the others were running with him, but he didn’t look back. He didn’t even know these people. At this exact moment he didn’t care if his allies were following or not. He heard screams and slashes behind him and he ran east.

Rowan got far enough away that he became confident he had fully escaped the attack. He tucked himself away under a tree. It was getting dark out now. He didn’t have anything with him to survive out here. His plan was to head back home, but without horses it would take much longer.

He stayed hidden in the tree just long enough to catch his breath and calm down. It was too early to go to sleep. He thought back to the last place they saw water. He knew if he kept going he’d find the river again. He was glad he paid attention on the way.

Unfortunately, Rowan hadn’t paid enough attention to realize the party had been taking back paths across country at key places. Rowan taking the main path got him into trouble when he came to the wrong side of a goblin checkpoint.

The goblin border guard was shocked to hear a human coming from behind him. It took one swing of his large club to knock Rowan unconscious.